Need inspiration fast?

Looking for inspiration for reciepes for health kids food or activities to do, or gifts to make for child... go to Pinterest and search for whatever you need idea for be it; toddler crafts, children's garden games etc.etc.at let the ideas follow...

Being creative after an internet delivery

If your latest internet delivery comes with the corn starch packing you are in luck!

They are water soluble and stick together very easily. 

You could dip them in a shallow pot of water or...lick them! as my daughter demonstrates....

They can be joined together...

to make all sorts of shapes,, creatures, monsters or bracelets...

or they can be stuck onto other (non precious) things like a cardboard box to create new toys, like a castle. 

(or according to the mini artist - a birthday cake with candles)

Sticking for almost nothing

After all this rain you might be short of a few idea of indoor activities... here is a quick and easy one. Collect magazines, leaflets, postcards, junk mail etc. (free magazines are all over the place). Cut out all the nice pictures, big letter and numbers - a good range of sizes always works well. Get out the glue and paper/card and get sticking. Maybe have a theme to the project or create a birthday card... or just stick for the fun of it.

Egg box monsters

Take an empty egg box, lots of coloured shapes, paper and bits of foil (coloured foil from Easter eggs works well - as we have discovered), something for eyes and any other features like tongue, hair etc. you might want and get creative. And, why stick with just one pair of eyes?! after all its a monster and your monster...

Snow fun!

I know the snow has gone but I thought I'd share with you one of our favourite activities while it was here. Snow castles... simply all the sand castle building kit we have but filled with snow instead.

Playing Doughs

Here are a few recipes for playing doughs - Enjoy!


BASIC DOUGH
1/2 cup of salt
1 + 1/2 cups of plain flour
Water
Food colouring (optional)

Photos: The basic dough that has been decorated with sequins and buttons (when the dough is wet), and then painted (after its dried out).

***


STRETCHY DOUGH
2 cups of self-raising flour
1 cup of salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water


***
Both the uncooked and cooked dough can be used for modelling.


UNCOOKED DOUGH
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
Kneed until smooth


 or try


COOKING DOUGH
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups water
Put straight into a saucepan
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until stiff
Cool before use
(store any left over in bag or tub in fridge)


Then for both versions, Bake slowly in a low oven for at least an hour, until all items are hard all the way though. When they have cooled down they can be painted with a mixture of paint and watered down PVA glue - making them stronger and shiny.


***


CORNFLOUR DOUGH
1/2 cup of cornflour
1 cup of bicarbonate of soda
1/2 cup of water
Combine in a saucepan, cook until dough like, turn out onto a board and kneed well


***


MAGIC MODEL MIX
1 cup salt
1/4 cup of water
 Mix in a saucepan until the mixture bubbles. remove form the heat and immediately stir in
1 cup cornflour and
1/2 cup water
The mixture will harden when exposed to the air, and it can be baked in an oven and then decorated


Recipes taken from; Birth to Three Matters by by Lesley Abbott and Ann Langston (not sure which version)

Mini money saving tips that might save a lot...

Happy New Year! I thought this was the prefect time of year to share with you a few things that have worked for us in helping saving a few pennies and the planet...


TIP 1: Beg and borrow off others. Many people who already have kids maybe more than happy to loan, moses baskets, car seats, cots, highchairs, travel cots etc. whilst waiting for child 2, 3, 4... Ask friends/family with older kids if they can loan stuff to you (possible offer them a small 'rental' fee) most people would be more than happy to help, as it saves them storing bulky stuff

TIP 2: Bag a last minute eBay auctions. I  saved a fortune waiting until the last minute to bid on things like hooded baby towels, dressing gown, bedding and blankets

TIP 3: Nearly New Sales are ace! especially for baby things. Lots around, often in spring and autumn

TIP 4: Are there local Facebook groups for buying/selling stuff? a local group often means no postage cost because you can walk/cycle and collect in person

TIP 5: freecycle and fridgemountain, have kids stuff advertised that is being given away, and you can post requests on too

TIP 6: Charity Shop, its pot luck and the trick is to keep popping in

TIP 7: Ask people for specific things that the little one needs for Christmas or a birthday rather than getting 3 lots of things they already have. People are often pleased to know they are buying something that is wanted, needed and will be used

TIP 8: Try a toy library or... why not start your own one amongst friends


TIP 9: Alternative to packets and packets of baby wipes. Buy a packet of washing up clothes (you know the ones, the blue and white ones), cut them in half or even quarters and use them to wipe fingers and faces, and just about everything you do with the baby wipes. When they are dirt throw in the washing machine and re-use as many times as possible before they fall apart in the washing machine. Although, please note I would not recommend for nappy change time unless its an emergency. When out-and-about pop one or two cut up cloths in a zip-able plastic bag.

OUR EXPERIENCES

PRAM: We brought a pram off eBay (from a warehouse type eBay shop) just as Mothercare were issuing a new model. we therefore got a new pram in the 'older' model for £200 cheaper than the newer one in Mothercare. I asked in Mothercare what the difference was between the two models and it was the car seat fitting (which made no difference to us as we had a car seat on loan)

NAPPIES: Real nappies have saved a small fortune! you can buy them clean and secondhand or brand new (we opted for  new bamboo based ones). Cloth nappies save about £1,000 over the course of time a one little needs them. This includes the cost of water, electricity, liners and washing powder. We aren't complete hippies... We do use eco-disposables when we are away from home for more than 48 hours. But over the 2 years+ our little one has worn nappies its saved a lot of money not to mention how much its helped mother nature's supply of resources.

Boo and Busy Boxes

Hi! I am Boo and I have been invited to be an author on Kids Don't Cost the Earth. This blog ticks all the boxes for me - when we had X we made an agreement that we wouldn't sacrifice the planet to raise our child. We avoid plastic where we can, especially of the disposible, easily breakable variety, get clothes second hand or from organic sources where possible, and generally try and be inventive and creative when it comes to entertaining our son, so that we can avoid leaving him the inherentance of a planet in an even worse state than it currently is.
I also write on my own blog on evidence-based parenting.

So, that is me. Let me tell you about "Busy Boxes".

You know when, with toys strewn everywhere, paper littering the room, crayons stuffed down sofas, a toddler who doesn't seem to focus on one thing for more than two minutes, and who seems hyeractive and bored....you suddenly get that sinking feeling that everything is a little out of control? I often feel like that at 630 in the morning and I just want X to have a task, something different that will keep him stimulated and busy. So I stumbled on busy boxes.

For me, part of the concept is that, with the room described above, there is no containment to an activity. Even with the craft area we have made for X it is often not focussed enough for him. Busy boxes are a box (any will do, we use the Ikea ones from our shelf system) with one clear discreet task in it, that I change every night so there is a new one for the morning. That way it is novel, fresh and contained. Hopefully it is a task that stimulates, either something sensory, learning orientated or just plain fun.

The first one I made was so obvious it was just waiting to be created - several handfuls of lentils (puy, green and yellow in this case. But rice would work too, or corn. But the lentils can be used as an emergency soup mix too, once playing is finished!) poured into the box with his construction toys added. X proceeded to dig, carry lentils, and generally scoop and flatten, with the construction toys. He bought in other cars (and people, alarmingly!) to bury in the lentils.

The second box was less of a hit (it is a learning process!) as I simply gave him a collection of red, blue and green blocks, letters and crayons and an old insert from a box of some kind that divided into three, so he could sort by colour. Dull, Mummy. But the blocks were piled up and knocked down - even though the very same blocks are always available in his playroom - something he really enjoyed and has not done in a while.

Tomorrow is stickers and pictures.

Other ideas for future busy boxes-
Paint, paper and straws to blow paint around the paper with.
The sparkly jelly blogged about previously.
Playdough, rolling pin and cutters ready to go.
Stamps (potato or made from old sponges etc), paint and paper
Threading paraphenalia
Pouring games - lentils or rice and cups or different sizes, maybe a funnel?
Chopsticks or tongs, two cups and lots of little objects to put into the cups (for more dexterous toddlers and children)
Ink stamps and paper (and pens for making finger and handprints into animals, cars and trains!)
Cut out images from magazines, glue and paper to make a collage. Or just the magazine so they can chose what they want to cut out.
The possibilities are endless......

Obviously, once the day is over and the next box being put together, just shove the previous box contents into a bag and put it away ready for next time (in fact feel free to just give the child the bag for a lot of these rather than the activity in a box. Much more portable that way. This is the ideal entertainment for you to be flexible with!)

Busy boxes/bags are also handy to have stashed away for those moments when you need to pull something out of your hat - an important phone call or work that just has to be done that your toddler can't join you for. Have a busy box nearby, pull it over and you may get...oh I don't know, as much as ten minutes quiet time (no guarantees)!